The Challenge
by The Chosen One1
Summary: (Written before the events of Our Worlds at War) Death stalks Wonder Girl. But who is this dark figure, and why does she want to see Cassie dead?
1. Chapter 1

The trees rustled and swayed in the midnight summer winds. Their leaves shuffled against both themselves and the bare bark of their branches as they shifted back and forth, back and forth, like an orchestra of nature. Across each branch shot a dark figure, clad in black. It moved with inhuman swiftness, making no audible sound. Its motions were as fluid as water as it leapt from tree to tree and bounced from branch to branch, almost faster than the human eye could pick up. It stopped suddenly, on the last tree, and gazed out into the clear opening. The stars glimmered brightly in the sky, twinkling like a billion diamonds on a black cloth. The grass seemed like the bobbing ocean in the summer breeze. But its gaze was not on these natural beauties of the night, but rather on two lone figures in the long grass.  
  
It watched in silence....  
  
*****************  
  
"You need to come at me harder, Cass," she said as she lightly pulled away a stray strand of hair from her face. The young stood tall, her muscles tensed from hours of training and battling. Her hair was a fiery red, as red as the passion, which fueled her in life. Her eyes glimmered, the soul of a warrior behind their soft gaze. At her feet, gasping for breath, was a young blonde. Sweat gleamed from her brow as she desperately tried to get to her feet. Her hair, much longer than her 'teachers', was pulled back into a ponytail. Her shoulders, bare, bore deep bruises and welts of all magnitudes. Her jeans scuffed against the grass as she slowly got to her feet.  
  
"That *gasp* WAS *gasp* my hardest *pant pant*!" The young girl barely whispered as she sucked in the air to her lungs. She tried to look up at her instructor, but could barely find the strength.  
  
"Then come at me FASTER!" her teacher said sternly, unsympathetic.  
  
"That WAS my fastest!" her student responded in tone.  
  
"We'll have to work on that, won't we 'Wonder Girl'?" She had a sinister smile on her face as she used her pupil's field name in a mocking tone. She turned and walked towards a good-sized duffel bag sitting a good fifty yards from where they were. Cassie was already dreading what form of torture she had in store for her.  
  
She walked over, carrying in her hands a large bag. In it, Cassie could see, were several large, metal spheres. Her teacher, even with her training, had to use two hands to carry it over. She plopped it down before Cassie's feet.  
  
*Thud*  
  
"What are these?" she asked, not really wanting to know. "They look like metal base balls"  
  
"You could say that," she said with a coy smile. "These are special training spheres, made of pure lead. They're actually quite heavy as you can see. Now here's the game. I'm going to throw these in the air, and your job is to keep them from touching the ground."  
  
"Sounds easy enough," she said confidently, just thankful she didn't have to do any more sparring.  
  
"When you can fly like me, it...."  
  
"No flying."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You can JUMP as high as seven feet, but no flying whatsoever. This will require you to build your agility and speed. Speed isn't just about how fast you can run, but how fast you can react to a situation. Now, I'm starting you off slow with seven balls...."  
  
"SEVEN?!?" Cassie was not amused.  
  
"Yes, seven. Be lucky. When I started, the minimum was twelve. I figured I'd go easy on you today."  
  
"Gee, thanks," Cassie said, her voice, grim, showing that her words were not sincere.  
  
"Glad you approve. Now get ready." She picked up the bag with her hands, and slowly building speed, began to spin. Her arms, outstretched, held tight to the bag as she increased her speed faster and faster, gaining momentum to hurl the balls as fast and as far as physics would let them go. Then, suddenly, she opened the bag, and the balls flew through the air, and in the opposite direction Cassie was expecting them to go.  
  
She leapt into action, nabbing the first ball in mid air with her first leap. She sprinted along the ground and, lunging, nabbed the second. She did a back summersault, the balls in her hands, and grabbed the third between her feet. Her trainer applauded at this feat.  
  
The balls began to fall back to the earth, and Cassie still had four more to go. Tucking the balls quickly under her right arm, she bounced after the fourth, barely catching it midway down between her fingers. She made after the fifth, and suddenly realized that the balls in her arms were really starting to slow her down. Which, she figured, was the whole purpose of the exercise.  
  
The fifth one was already near the ground, and Cass barely made it to it. Executing a baseball slide, she snagged it just before it made contact. The sixth one also was near the ground, and was a ways away. Balls in arm, she made a quick dash. The world around her seemed to move in slow motion, as she ran as fast as she could to catch the sixth ball. Mere inches from the ground, she dumped the balls under her arms and made a suicide dive for it. Three inches...two inches...one inch...  
  
*Thud*  
  
"Cassie," a voice said in the darkness. "Cassie, are you alright?" She fluttered her eyes, and her instructor was standing above her.  
  
"Artemis?" she said weakly, sitting up. She rubbed the back of her head, which throbbed in pain. "What happened?"  
  
"You overshot," she said matter-of-factly, helping Cassie to her feet. "It bounced off your head."  
  
"Oh. Ouchies!" she responded, rubbing the back of her head again where the ball impacted. "How long was I out?"  
  
"About a minute. Not a bad job though. You kept six of the seven balls from falling to the ground."  
  
Cassie looked and saw the six balls sitting in a small pile near her feet. "But where's the seventh ball?"  
  
Suddenly, if answering her question, the ball fell with a thud between the two of them.  
  
"Stand ready," Artemis said. "We're not alone."  
  
Leaping to the ground from a nearby tree was a female, clad in dark. Her garb clung tightly to her as she silently landed in crouch position. She wore a mask, a mask like no other Cassie had seen, but looked familiar.  
  
It looked like a giant bat's head.  
  
"The bat mask of the Tengu," Artemis said. "So you must be Lady Shiva."  
  
"Indeed I am," she responded. "And I have come to challenge you, Artemis."  
  
"I would have expected no less from a murderer like you." She looked at Cassie, who was awestruck at what was transpiring.  
  
"Stay back, Wonder Girl," she said, making sure to use her field name to hide her identity. "This is my fight."  
  
The two warriors stood in fighting stance across from each other, and for what seemed like hours neither of them moved. Each waited for the other to strike the first blow. Each one tensed, each one anticipating the other to make the first strike, to make the first mistake...  
  
And Artemis struck first. She lunged at Shiva with a vicious right hook, which sent her reeling. She followed it up with a left jab into the stomach, bringing Shiva to her knees. But Shiva swung her right leg, tripping Artemis and momentarily knocking her off-balance. She capitalized on this, lunging upward with a powerful uppercut. Spinning on her heels, she followed up this blow with an elbow thrust to the throat. Artemis gasped for air, giving her opponent time to land a sound blow to her gut. She doubled over as Shiva stood confidently above her. Bringing her leg up, she scissor-kicked Artemis in the back of the head, knocking her straight to the ground.  
  
"Proud Amazonian warrior," Shiva preened above her fallen foe. "Fear not, for your end shall be very quick." She brought her hand up, ready to strike the fatal blow, when the force of a freight train clipped her in the lower torso, pushing her through tree after tree.  
  
That freight train was Wonder Girl.  
  
"LEAVE HER ALONE!!!" she screamed as they plowed through another birch wood. Shiva, fighting back, bashed the sides of her temples with the palms of her hands. She whelped, and released her, as they both tumbled to the ground. Shiva was the first to her feet, as Cassie was still woozy from the concussion she had sustained.  
  
Shiva strode over, and pulled Cassie to her feet. "Foolish girl," she said. "You cost me my match. A match which as a CLEAN victory for me. For that, you will have to face ME now."  
  
Her words were like daggers of hate, which stabbed into her soul. Cassie tried to look her in the eye, but was met with the blank stare of the bat mask. Somehow, it seemed worse than actually looking her in the eye.  
  
She tossed her down, and began to walk away.  
  
"I will come for you, young child," she spoke back. "I will come for you where you feel most safe. Until then, I would suggest you say goodbye to your loved ones."  
  
And, with that, she melted into the shadows from whence she came.  
  
Leaving Cassie to mull over her fate.  
  
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	2. Chapter 2

`Five minutes. The fight didn't even last five minutes.'  
  
Cassie's thoughts resounded like a broken record in her mind as she recalled the events of last week. She could still feel the rush of wind, the sound of the leaves as they rustled, the smell of sweat and blood, both her and Artemis', intermingled with the night dew. The sounds of battle were a familiar sound in her ear, like a minuet, a ballet, or, in Artemis' case, a high-octane metal fest.  
  
'Barely five minutes....'  
  
She had seen Artemis battle monsters, best demons, even hold her own against Wonder Woman. But that night, as the stars glimmered in the night sky, and as the creatures of nature slumbered in their dens, she witnessed her be tossed around like a lifeless rag doll, brought to her knees, before a raging storm of a human. And now that storm was coming for her. For days she's been watching her back, paranoid of what may be lurking in the shadows. Every snap of a twig was the pouncing tiger, every creaking floorboard was creeping death. She couldn't sleep, could barely eat.  
  
'Barely five minutes....'  
  
She now sat, head slumped over on the rotund meeting table of her team, Young Justice, physically exhausted, mentally fatigued...and scared for her life.  
  
'Barely five minutes.....'  
  
The lights, EVERY light, hummed with the ozone of electricity, making it impossible for any shadows to exist not only in that room, but in every room. She had been there for the past day or two, using the excuse that she was spending the night with Cissie to explain to her mother her long absence. After all, how could she tell her that she had a trained killer after her. A killer who left one of the greatest warriors with three broken ribs, a shattered jaw, concussion, several bruises, and, most of all, hospitalized in critical condition.  
  
'Barely five minutes....'  
  
Voices! She jumped literally five feet from her seat at the sound of voices. Multiple voices, she quickly noted. FAMILIAR voices....  
  
"And so that's how Batman and I saved the day," Impulse boasted as he strode into the room, chest puffed with pride. By his side was, of course, the Laurel to his Hardy, Superboy. His face was a mix of boredom and disbelief. Close behind was their newest member, Empress. She was in full costume, save her mask, which allowed her the luxury to yawn at Impulse's story. Secret was also with them, floating past them. She seemed to be the only one really interested in his retelling of how he and Batman defeated the Joker.  
  
"Rrrriiiiiggggghhhhtttttt," Superboy said.  
  
"Yeah, you shoulda been there, I was all like BAM, POW, BIFF," he exclaimed, each word punctuated by wild air punches. "And it was wild, and he was so proud to be working with me and he said that if he ever needed a new side-kick he'd call me and....why is it so bright in here?" He squinted as he looked about, each light blaring as bright as it can get.  
  
"Yeah, I was about to say the same thing," Superboy said.  
  
"Here, I'll dim the lights," Empress said.  
  
"NO!" Cassie's plea stunned them all. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, her arm outstretched towards them, urging them to leave the light levels alone.  
  
"Cassie?" Superboy said as they made their way over to the table. "Cass, what's wrong?"  
  
"Yeah, you look like you've seen a ghost," Impulse said. He looked back, and noticed Secret standing right behind him. "Uh...figuratively speaking."  
  
"Barely five minutes...." she muttered.  
  
"What?" Empress asked.  
  
"Barely five minutes. Artemis barely lasted five minutes."  
  
"What's an `Are-Tay-Miss'?" Secret asked, perplexed. "Is it like a microwave?"  
  
"No, Secret," Superboy said, whispering. "Artemis is a friend of hers. She's an Amazonian warrior who's been training her."  
  
"Ah, I see."  
  
"What do you mean by `She barely lasted five minutes'?" Empress asked, leaning over.  
  
"We...we were training..." she stammered. "And, out of nowhere, this woman...wearing a bat head....just dropped out..."  
  
"Whoa whoa whoa, pause!!!" Superboy said, motioning her with his hands for her to stop speaking. "Did you say `bat head'? Like a bat mask?"  
  
"No...like...some kind of ancient...totem pole-like bat head. And...she attacked Artemis...challenged her and....and...." She broke down for a second, shivering violently.  
  
"And?" Impulse asked, impatient.  
  
"And she almost killed her....and now she wants to kill me....and..and....I have no idea what to do! She said she'd attack me when and where I feel most safe, and...."  
  
Without warning the room grew dim, as if all the light was being sucked away by a large void of darkness.  
  
"Oh my!" Secret said.  
  
"This IS serious?" Empress said.  
  
"What's serious?" a voice from across the room asked. They turned, and there, followed by a constant shadowy void, was The Urban Legend known as Robin.  
  
"Someone's trying to kill Wonder Girl," Secret said very matter-of-factly.  
  
"Ah, I see," Robin said, not really taking them seriously.  
  
"Say Rob, question," Superboy interrupted. "What did Batman say to you about him having to team up with Impulse?"  
  
"He said it was one of the only times he wished he'd had a gun. Now, unless there are any more stupid questions that seem to have no bearing on the problems at hand, I'd like to ask Wonder Girl who's out to kill her and why."  
  
He pulled up a chair next to his distraught companion, and moved in close so he could pay close attention to what she had to say.  
  
"Someone attacked Artemis while we were training, Rob. She's in pretty bad shape because of it."  
  
"Do you know who it was?" he asked, now taking this very seriously.  
  
"Artemis did. She even said her name, but I can't remember it. But she was wearing some weird mask. It looked like a bat's head, and...."  
  
"The bat mask of the Tengu?!?" Robin said, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.  
  
"Yeah, I think that's what...." He rose from his chair, suddenly very alert.  
  
"Was her name Shiva? Lady Shiva?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. Yeah, it was, why do you..." She didn't get to finish. Robin was already at the command consul.  
  
"Computer, initiate Code Red Security! Lock down all exits and entrances. Impulse...."  
  
"Yeah boss," said the Lad of Lightning.  
  
"Head to Gotham City, as fast as possible. Try to find this person." He handed him a piece of paper from his utility belt. "They may be the only one that can help."  
  
"Gotcha," he said, and sped off just before the doors could close all the way.  
  
"Wait, what's the big deal Rob?" Superboy asked. "I mean, we're all here. This Shiva can't be all that bad..."  
  
"No, Kon," Robin said. "She's worse." He began to stride away, until a voice called on the monitor. "  
  
"This is Red Tornado here," Red Tornado said. "I was enjoying the view of the outdoors when a large steel curtain came down, thus obstructing my view. Might I ask why?"  
  
"I'll explain later, Red," Robin said, his voice shivering with the sounds of urgency and nervousness. "Just stay there, and whatever you do, do NOT move! I repeat, if you value your life, DON'T MOVE!!!" With a flick of his wrists, he cut the communication.  
  
"Where are you going?" Secret asked. He said nothing, made no noise save for the fluttering of his cape as he spun to leave, and melted into the shadows.  
  
"I don't know about you guys," Superboy said. "But I think he's legitimately scared."  
  
"He has every right to be," Wonder Girl said. "This woman tore through Artemis like she was a paper cut-out."  
  
"I've heard about this Lady Shiva," Empress said. "My dad had to do a case on her once. Took out a whole cadre of ninjas, including their leader. No one's been able to catch her. Hardly anyone knows what se looks like. And as far as I know, in all the people she's challenged, none have survived."  
  
"Maybe that's why she's after you Cassie," Secret said. "Since Artemis survived because of you, she needs some kind of sick and twisted retribution."  
  
"Oh, gee, you think," she retorted in her typical sarcastic manner.  
  
"Poppy cock," Superboy said. "I'm gonna ask Red Tornado about this Shiva chick."  
  
"`Poppy cock?'" Wonder Girl asked. "Does anyone ever SAY that anymore?"  
  
"Superboy to Tornado," he said. No response. "Superboy to Red Tornado, do you copy?"  
  
"I'm afraid your friend won't be able to speak to you at the moment," a fatale voice whispered from across the room. Their gaze shot to see a beautiful female standing in the doorway. She appeared as black glass, seductive and deadly to the touch. Her dark hair, black as sackcloth, hung just off her shoulders. In her right hand she drug the motionless body of their mentor, Red Tornado.  
  
"But fear not young ones. You'll be joining him shortly."  
  
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	3. Chapter 3

A flash of crimson and gold pierced the darkness of the night like a rush of lightning. Impulse, The Lad of Lightning, raced through the streets of Gotham City, his mind set on one goal, one mission. Defying the very laws of physics themselves, he sprinted up the sides of buildings and zoomed across the river, searching for one individual, one sole person.  
  
For some finding one single person inside The Midnight Kingdom would be too arduous a task. But for one who could circumnavigate the globe in the blink of an eye, the order was a little less difficult.  
  
"C'monc'monc'monwhereareyouyou'renotthemwhoopssorry..." His words were as his thoughts; incoherent. But his goal was clear, and his path was set.  
  
"Wherewherewherewherewherewherewhere..." He searched and searched at a pace that can only be described as blinding. So it is no surprise that very little catches the young hero off guard.  
  
Running atop a building, Impulse was caught of guard by a living shadow in his path. The shadow gazed at him, an obvious question on its face: What do you want?  
  
Impulse paused in his tracks, an inquisitive look on his face. For a brief second, he had forgotten what his goal was. Suddenly, like a light bulb, his goal came back to his mind, as he glanced at an instant pace at the paper and back at the shadow standing before him.  
  
"Uh...." he said. "I know this sounds weird, but Robin told me to tell you to come with me."  
  
The shadow cocked its head to one side, perplexed.  
  
************************************  
  
The air inside the secret headquarters of Young Justice could only be compared to that of a graveyard. Lying on the ground, insides torn open and strewn about, was their mentor, the android known as Red Tornado. He lay motionless, deactivated. Standing above him, clad in black, was the one known as Lady Shiva. Her face was masked by an ancient artifact known as the mask of the Tengu, the Bat God. A shroud of death was cast upon her, as the Devil himself seemed to reside in her shadow.  
  
If any could see her face, they would have seen a smile of sinister intent.  
  
The team stood poised, ready for action. Shiva, however, seemed oblivious to their presence. She was, instead, transfixed on one person in particular.  
  
"Greetings, `Wonder Girl'," she said. Her voice was as cold as ice, chilling Wonder Girl to her very core. The young heroin inched back, terrified.  
  
Shiva proceeded forward, striding confidently, calmly, towards her prey. "Did I not tell you I would strike you where you thought you would be most safe?" Her steps echoed through the silence of the room like a death knell.  
  
"Now wait just one minute," Superboy said, moving in front of her path. "What makes you think that you can just..."  
  
*POW!*  
  
Shiva struck Superboy with a devastating blow. The Teen of Tomorrow doubled over, gasping for breath.  
  
"That...*cough* was a....*cough cough* cheep...shot..." Blood sprayed out as he coughed, barely managing to find the strength to speak his mind before collapsing to the ground.  
  
"KON!" Wonder Girl screamed. She tried to advance, but fear kept her from even moving to save herself. Shiva advanced forward.  
  
"I've had enough," Empress said darkly. "Stop." She extended her hand, and, if by some magic, Shiva ceased her advance.  
  
"Impressive," she said cooly. "That is indeed a formidable trick you are using. Voodoun, is it not? Indeed, impressive." Before anyone could blink, Empress was lying on the ground, cradling her shattered arm. Shiva stood above, not even breathing heavily.  
  
"It's a shame I've already encountered it before." Shiva advanced forward.  
  
"THINK YOU CAN HURT MY FRIENDS, DO YOU?!?" A voice cried from the everywhere and nowhere at once. A vortex of smoke surrounding Shiva, bladed tendrils lashing out every which way.  
  
"I don't intend to hurt your friends, so long as they stay out of my way."  
  
"DO YOU THINK WE'RE THAT STUPID?!?" The voice from the smoke screamed.  
  
"No, I KNOW you're that stupid." Shiva reached into a small pouch, pulling out a set of small metal spheres. She launched them inside the smoke. Electricity leapt from the orbs, coursing through the clouds. An inhuman screech emanated, as a girl composed of mist fell to the cold hard ground.  
  
"So, you are Secret I take it," Shiva said, crouching down at her twitching victim. "It was a good thing I came prepared for you." Standing back to her feet, she walked forward, no longer abated.  
  
*Not even one minute. Not even one minute. Not even one minute. Not even one minute. Not even....*  
  
The same thought echoed over and over and over in Wonder Girl's head as she found herself face to face with the woman that could have possibly killed her mentor. She tried to act brave, as if unafraid.  
  
"Are you ready now?" Shiva asked her. "Are you ready to die?"  
  
*****************************  
  
"FRAGGIN' GREAT!!!" Lobo swore as he circled the complex. "Place is locked tighter than my....."  
  
"Wha?" He responded to his cycle's whining. "Yeah yeah, I KNOW I could just blast my way in. Ain't no problem for the Top Teen. But whaddif a rock fell on `Nita?"  
  
"Yeah, so WHAT if I like her?" he responded to another set of noises from his vehicle. "That ain't gonna stop me from fraggin' some bastiches. Now shaddup!"  
  
Sitting on his cycle, head slumped in his hand from sheer boredom and frustration, he waited by the front entrance.  
  
"These mooks'd better open the door soon, or they're gonna find bird brain eating his Wheaties with a stump."  
  
"SHADDUP!!!! Look, we'll just wait here fer a couple minutes, then we'll head out. Geeze, ya startin' ta get on MY nerves now! `Sides, what could POSSIBLY be so important that they'd lock ME outta the place?"  
  
*******************************  
  
  
  
Blood streamed from her lips as she sailed across the room. She could barely see out of her right eye it was so swollen. Out of the corner of her left she could see her teammates rising to their feet slowly. Kon was still coughing up blood, and Anita's arm looked worse for the wear. Secret wasn't moving at all, neither was Red Tornado. And Robin...where WAS Robin. Why wasn't he here? Where was he? How....?"  
  
*WHAK!!!*  
  
"Come on, little girl. This is barely a warm up for me." Shiva grabbed her by her hair, lifting her to eye level. Despite all her strength, all her bravery, she was no match for Shiva's skill.  
  
"Bah!" She said, tossing her aside like some rag doll. "You're no fun, child. Perhaps I should go to the hospital, where your beloved Artemis is, and finish what I started."  
  
"Artemis...." Wonder Girl whispered, her blood boiling.  
  
"Or, perhaps, your MOTHER would be a suitable substitute."  
  
"Mom....."  
  
"Yes, Cassandra Sandsmark. Tracking you down has been nothing short of trivial. I could go into your house, any time. Tell me, do you and your mother share the same color blood, or is hers redder than yours?"  
  
"MONSTER!!!" The rage had built long enough. Like a bullet Cassie towards the mistress of death. With all her might she slammed her body to hers, rocketing them into the nearest of walls. The breath escaped both combatants as they stumbled to the ground.  
  
Shiva was the first to her feet. Beside her lay the mask of Tengu, shattered. For the first time Wonder Girl and the rest of the team could lay eyes on their method of destruction. Her hair was as black as the garments she wore. Her face was clearly of Asian ethnicity, eyes glimmering like a thousand midnights, and lips as crimson as the blood she lusted for. Her skin was smooth, not haggard like most warriors. She was like a poetic vision of death herself. And the smile she wore was that of a menacing tiger, stalking its prey.  
  
"Good! Excellent!" she commended. "You finally show life. For what little is left of it, that is."  
  
Wonder Girl tried to move, but all energy had left her. A sharp pain coursed through her arm. She was sure she had dislocated her shoulder with that gambit. A gambit that would have paid off, had she been fighting anyone else.  
  
But she wasn't fighting anyone else. She was fighting death itself. And she had lost.  
  
"Say hello to whatever gods you worship," she said. "For I am sending you there to meet them personally."  
  
She drew back her fist, the fist that would have finished Artemis had she not intervened. A fist that would finish her, if only someone would intervene for HER sake. But, glancing back at her comrades, she realized that no help would come from them.  
  
Closing her eyes, she was ready to embrace her end, when a sharp whistle flew through the air. She opened her eyes, just in time to see Shiva, with no effort, snatch a batarang from the air, mere inches from her skull.  
  
"Hello, Robin," she said darkly. Melting out from the shadows was their leader, The Urban Legend known as Robin. His muscles were tensed, and his jaw firm. Shiva did not look at him as he walked forward, staff in hand. But she knew he was there.  
  
"Hello Shiva," he said with equal darkness. She turned, facing the young man. She tossed the batarang back towards him. He caught it effortlessly from mid air and placed it back in his utility belt.  
  
"It's been a while, young one," she said calmly. "I did not think you would have the nerve to face me again."  
  
"Nor I you," he responded.  
  
"*Cough cough* Rob?" Superboy inquired.  
  
"Wha...what's going on?" Secret asked as she regained consciousness.  
  
"Why do you again interfere with one of my matches?" she asked him.  
  
"Do you honestly believe that I would stand by and let you kill one of my teammates?" He retorted.  
  
"What makes you think you can stop me?" she asked him.  
  
"I've done it before," he said. "And, if need be, I'll do it again."  
  
"`Before' was a fluke. Remember, it was I who trained you once. Everything you know is because of me."  
  
"You trained me for a few days, no more. I've grown since then, and have had many other teachers."  
  
"Is...is anyone following this?" Empress asked, struggling to overcome the pain.  
  
"Did...did he say he's BEATEN her before?" Superboy inquired.  
  
"Let the girl go," Robin said.  
  
"Tell me, what do you POSSIBLY have to offer that could make me change my mind?" There was a slight pause, a void that was filled by deafening silence, before finally Robin spoke.  
  
"Myself," he said. "Take me in her place."  
  
"Robin...no...." Wonder Girl tried to argue. Robin heard, but did not respond. Shiva, however, chuckled slightly.  
  
"You would honestly trade your life for hers? Let me guess, you have some more of that speed formula on you. Or maybe you think you can trick me with your whistling stick again."  
  
"No," he said. "It'll be just you and me. No tricks, no formulas." Shiva seemed to contemplate for a moment, but Robin knew what her response would be.  
  
"You were always the sentimental type, Robin," she said. "Finally it looks like your sentimentality will be your undoing. I accept." She moved back to the center of the room.  
  
"Wh...Robin....don't....why..." Wonder Girl tried to find reason to his suicide as he helped her to her feet. Robin silenced her with his fingers.  
  
"I have to do this," he said. "Trust me." He set down his staff, and proceeded to remove his cape, followed by his utility belt. He pulled off his gloves, setting them down on top of his other stuff. Finally he removed his kevlar vest, chest bare, ready for mortal combat.  
  
He walked forward, but paused one moment and spoke back to his teammate.  
  
"Tell Batman....I did my best."  
  
With that, he proceeded to his destiny.  
  
**************************************************************************** ** 


	4. Chapter 4

The blow came hard, fast, like a bolt of lightning. No indication, no preparation. The pain shot through him like a bullet. His insides screamed as he spat out an endless stream of blood. He tried to get up, to ignore the agony that coursed through him. His knees quivered as he reached his feet. An arm reached over, gave him support. He glanced over, grumbling in pain, to see a soft face and sympathetic eyes.  
  
"You okay Kon?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah Cass," he said, wiping some of the blood from his mouth. "I think I've stopped bleeding." He looked around casually, trying to regain his bearings. He could see Empress clutching her arm, a visage of pain carved in her face. Secret was slowly rising to her feet, obviously regaining consciousness and none to happy. He looked back at Wonder Girl, and noticed several deep bruises and a sliver of blood at the end of her lips. He looked down at her shirt, soaked in blood. He told himself it wasn't her blood, that she had beaten Shiva. That she had won.  
  
"Wha...what's happening, anyways? Did you win?" He asked her. She shook her head.  
  
"She....beat me," Wonder Girl said, her head down.  
  
"But wait. I thought she killed everyone she beat. So, if she beat you, then why are you still here?"  
  
Wonder Girl averted her gaze elsewhere. "Someone took my place."  
  
Superboy and the rest turned their attention to the center of the room, helpless spectators to what was transpiring.  
  
****************************** They stood motionless, like statues, each anticipating the other's move. The tension was so thick it could only be cut with a chainsaw. Sweat trickled down Robin's bare chest, each muscle tensed, his breathing steady. Shiva stood, braced for an attack. Her hair, black as sackcloth, hung slightly over her eyes, but she made no movement to adjust it. Her face was blank, like a bare slate of marble.  
  
Time moved at a snail's pace, each sound amplified a thousand decibels louder than normal. The soft sound of a cockroach's footsteps sounded like a stampede. The hum of the central air system boomed through like a large explosion.  
  
"What are they doing?" Superboy asked Wonder Girl in whispered tones.  
  
"They've been like that for almost five minutes," she responded.  
  
"They're gauging each other," Empress said. "It's a psychological test mostly, but it also serves to determine strategy."  
  
"Look," Superboy started, "why don't we just jump in and...ack!" Wonder Girl caught his attention with a slight pat on his stomach.  
  
"You're in no condition to fight, and neither is Empress. Besides, we'd just get in the way."  
  
"But....but what if Robin should need our help?" Secret asked.  
  
"Robin knows what he's doing," she responded. "I hope."  
  
The two combatants remained stationary, circling each other with their eyes, mentally envisioning their first moves, each parry, each jab, each final blow.  
  
Superboy went over to the table, looking for better support. His arm reached over the table, and he put his weight onto its edge. Unfortunately his balance was off. The table leaned, his body weight shifted, and like a stack of dominos....  
  
*CRASH*  
  
Robin and Shiva lunged, meeting each other in the center before anyone could gasp. Robin gained the first blow, striking Shiva firmly in the jaw with a front jab. He was quick to follow up with a left hook. Shiva's head cocked back from the strike. Using momentum, she reeled back with a bicycle kick. Robin fell back, but quickly regained his composure with several back flips into a crouch position.  
  
Shiva was on top of him in an instant, leaping at him with all her might, her foot extended forward. He sidestepped, catching her leg and tossing her aside into a nearby wall. She pivoted in mid air, leaping off the wall and into Robin. She tackled him to the ground, but Robin flipped her off of him. Shiva landed in a hand stand position, as Robin leapt to his feet and faced her.  
  
"Impressive," she said with a smile. "You HAVE improved." She slowly moved from handstand position to her feet. "Now we can have some REAL fun."  
  
She vaulted into the air, flipping over Robin's head and behind him. Before he could brace himself she spun her leg between his, tripping him on his face. Robin moved just in time to avoid a falling knee to his back. He tried to rebound with a double kick to her mid section, but she ducked just in time. He spun on his heels, and was met with her heel to the side of his face. He tried to use his momentum to his advantage, delivering a devastating backhand, but she caught his arm. All it took was a quick twist and a sharp elbow and....  
  
*SNAP*  
  
Robin cried in pain, his right arm went limp, broken. He tried to fend off a flurry of punches with his only good arm, and fought valiantly. A drop kick to Shiva's shins sent her to the ground. He rolled away, trying as best as he could to not further injure his arm and buying time before Shiva got to her feet.  
  
He felt something grab the short hairs at the back of his neck and yoink him down to the ground. Shiva was clutching him by the back of his head, her nails dug deeply into his flesh, as she saddled him. Her face was inches from his, and he could feel her breath against his face, chuckling like a child.  
  
"You have improved, my little bird," she whispered, "but it's still not enough."  
  
She smashed her head into his, knocking the back of his skull to the ground. She then pulled him to his feet, and tossed him into the wall. The cold grating of the air conditioning system did nothing to soothe the pain that coursed through his body. He got to his feet, and, with adrenaline as his only source of strength, launched one last salvo at his opponent.  
  
In less than a minute, it was all but over. Robin was on his knees, bleeding and broken. He cradled his broken arm in his hand, out of breath and out of time. He tried to get to his feet, but he knew it was for nothing. He could feel the eyes of his teammates on him, and he knew he had failed.  
  
"You had such potential," Shiva said, standing above him. "If you had only let me train you some more, you might have become as good as me." She moved behind Robin, setting her hands behind his chin and neck.  
  
"I am almost tempted to let you live, for old times sake. But I DO have a reputation to protect."  
  
"If it's any comfort, your death will be painless. It is, after all, the least I could do."  
  
Robin closed his eyes, and braced for death, the sounds of his teammate's, his friends, voices in the background. A rush of wind flew through the air.  
  
"YOU!!!" Shiva screamed. Robin peeked his eyes open to see a familiar shaggy-haired youngster in red and white tights. Standing next to him was a figure clad in black.  
  
"Hey Rob," he said, smiling and waving at his partner. "I got who you wanted me to. Uh...what's wrong with you?"  
  
"Finally...." Robin moaned, smiling.  
  
"Imp!" Superboy said. "I never thought I'd be glad to see you. What took ya?"  
  
"WellRobintoldmetogofindthispersononthepapersoIwenttoGothamtofindherbutitwas reallreallyreallyreallyreallyhardbutIfoundherandIwaslike..."  
  
"Whoa whoa whoa. WHO did Robin tell you to pick up?" Wonder Girl asked.  
  
"Her," he said, pointing back. "Batgirl."  
  
"What are YOU doing here?" Shiva addressed Batgirl.  
  
Batgirl slowly, calmly, approached her. "Fight," was all she said.  
  
"You want to fight me, now?" Shiva said, not so certain of herself. Batgirl nodded. Shiva glanced back at Robin, kneeling on the ground, easy prey. She glanced back at Batgirl, the only person that could possibly challenge her. She then gazed back at her first target, Wonder Girl. She scowled, then rushed as fast as possible to the nearest exit.  
  
"Meddling kids," she mumbled to herself. "I'll get you next time. Next time." And, firmly outmatched, she made a hasty retreat.  
  
"Wow, she's off in a hurry," Impulse said. "So, what've I missed?"  
  
"I'll explain everything later," Wonder Girl said. "Right now I think we'd better get Red Tornado online and head to the med center. Hey, Batgirl, thanks for...." But Batgirl was gone.  
  
"What's up with you bat-folks anyway?" she said to Robin, helping him to his feet.  
  
"Hey, I just saved your life," he said jokingly. "The least you could do is cut me a...little...slack...." He passed out in her arms, exhausted.  
  
"ROBIN!"  
  
******************************  
  
  
  
"About fraggin' time they opened the doors," Lobo said walking inside the base. "Thought they could keep me out. Heh. Don't know what was up with that bat chick though." He wandered around the place, but found no one around.  
  
"HEY!! WHERE YA MOOKS AT?!?" He entered the med lab, to see Wonder Girl, Empress, Superboy, and Robin taped up and resting in the beds. Red Tornado was repairing himself, while Impulse and Secret tended to their needs. Batman, Max Mercury, Wonder Woman and Superman were being appraised of the situation, when they all turned their attention to the pale teen that entered the room.  
  
"Krikees, what happened to you losers?"  
  
Lying in the bed, Wonder Girl allowed some calm to run through her. She had been too tense for too long. She glanced over at Robin, the person she said wasn't fit to lead the team, and the man who saved her life. He weakly returned the glance, and, as if reading her mind, smiled and nodded.  
  
She returned her gaze to the ceiling, the sounds of their mentors berating Lobo for his absence. She thought about how her mother would react to what had happened, but shrugged it aside. One challenge at a time, after all.  
  
Life was back to normal. Closing her eyes, and with Lobos cursing in the background of her mind, she let sleep take her.  
  
"Ya mooks wanna mess with the Top Teen, I'll blah blah blah blah....."  
  
Life was back to normal again.....  
  
  
  
The End 


End file.
